christian blogger – By Leslie Salazar

Taking Care of Your Heart Pt. 1

HI FRIENDS! I wanted to share my heart, give an update on life these past 6 months, and a few tips on taking care of your heart.

My life has changed DRASTICALLY in the last 8 months and I am in such a beautiful season! I got a big girl job and work 8-5, which I said I would never do but strangely, I LOVE it lol I am also officially dating someone, the sweetest person ever (more blogs on that later) and I have plugged myself into a new home #ILOVEHTX

Anyways, life is pretty great right now! And I’m so thankful for this season and trying to soak it ALL in.

I have gotten way better at taking care of myself and I think this is something so many of us struggle with so I thought I would share what I have been working on. I’m sharing the ideas over 5 posts as a mini series for the blogs. I hope you enjoy & let me know if you would like more of these types of series.

Treat yourself
Prayer + Word
Rest
Guarding your heart + your peace
Soaking

The older I get and the more that I want to just make sure my heart is healthy. My inner peace has become one of the dearest things to me and something I intentionally look after. I used to let everything and everyone in and out of my life regardless of how good or bad, or anxious it made me. And although I am still learning how to filter through situations and people, I have gotten way better at guarding my peace.

Over the last few months, I decided I wanted to be someone who people like being around, someone who speaks life because I really do believe in people not just because it’s what we’re “supposed to do”. I wanted to be full of confidence, full of love. And I believe the only way to really live this out is to be at peace with yourself and your world. We cannot offer anyone else anything if we ourselves are empty. And even more so, we cannot offer anything healthy, if we aren’t taking care of ourselves – mind, body, and spirit.

One of the things I love doing is treating myself (sometimes a little too much LOL). Weeks and days can speed by without me even getting a chance to catch my breath until I’m exhausted because how the heck are we already in July?!? I learned in my previous season that I burned myself out at 23 years old because I was constantly giving to the wrong people, sowing into the wrong situations, and never made time for myself. I am still in the process of learning of ways to take care of myself but here are a few of the things I enjoy:

I love dancing! ( ya know, dancing in your love lol?) Dancing makes me happy, it’s a good workout and a good time! I try to go dancing at least once a month or try to take classes every few months. One of my major goals this month is to go to more classes. You can find easy $10 classes around the city or simply go for a night out in town and dance the night away.
I love facemasks and little spa days. There are many different options from target and ulta that I love to purchase. I would just recommend really knowing your skin and how it reacts to certain products before going all out. My face is really sensitive so I have to be careful what I use. I’ve also created natural face masks that I found on pinterest.
Treat yourself to a Mani/Pedi. This is one of my favorite things to do because my life is together when my nails are done and perfect. It doesn’t even have to be expensive or even at a salon! Look up at home Manis, play some tunes, and relax while you hook yourself up!
Treating yourself to a…. treat. In this generation of perfect bodies, health diets, workout regimes, and more, sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to something sweet. Buy the cookie, have some ice cream, enjoy that snack that you think about all day!

I had the opportunity of visiting Essential Body Bar this past weekend and it was such a relaxing experience. In the center of downtown, this spa is in a cute little house that was turned into a relaxing spa. As soon as you walk in, Letrice, the owner is very welcoming and so is the decor and ambiance.

I had a Microdermabrasion and a Swedish massage.

I had never had a MD done and I was really nervous about it because my face is very sensitive but I was actually able to relax because Sarah explained everything before she did it and there is a mini facial before the actual treatment began.

The treatment itself is not painful. The tool exfoliates and has a suction tip that helps clean/unclog your pores. And it left my face smooth the rest of the day without any noticeable redness or bruising. Today my face is a little dry but I expected it. Nothing a little moisturizer can’t fix!

The Swedish massage was very light pressure and very relaxing. Sometimes, the massage therapists apply too much pressure and i’m always WAY too shy to say something but this was the perfect Swedish massage. I had never tried hot stones and they were so so so relaxing. The massage therapist was also very professional and explained everything he was doing.

Essential body bar formulates their own products and use a lot of essential oils that help you relax during your services. Lavender is probably one of my favorite oils.

I would definitely recommend treating yourself to one of the services, it is definitely worth a little self care and the prices are very affordable.

In order to offer the world the very best version of you, you have to be the best version for YOU. The world needs what you have to offer and there are only people YOU can reach so be intentionally about taking care of and treating yourself.

XX,

Dancing in His love

Leslie Tatiana

2018: Restoration

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you celebrated in the way that you desired! Whether it was in PJ’s, in sparkles, a suit, or dancing the night away.

I spent the night with my family and close friends and it was everything I hoped it could be. Anytime I can dress up, dance, and be with loved ones- I’m game!

I have been reflecting on 2017 all day and continuing to ponder on my vision for 2018.

And in all honesty, I was a bit overwhelmed today.

My heart has been processing all the loss that I had in the previous year and I began to miss people, miss moments, miss things. And you know, I don’t think this is a bad thing. So often we are taught to refocus when you think of the past, that friendship, or that ex. But I think we would be mentally stronger, more honest, and better off if we allowed ourselves to process the meaning of these feelings and thoughts when they happen.

I am not saying to dwell on it, and to listen to Adele… or to go look at pictures or stalk them on social media LOL but really…. Ask yourself, why am I thinking about this? Why am I missing them? What caused this today?

And here is what I discovered when I answered these questions today.

I am at peace with all the decisions I have made this year, at peace with all the things I have walked away from.

But 2018 terrifies me.

I am so afraid to screw it all up, to have a “lowest of lows” year, to stray off the path the Lord has set before me. And because of that, I began to think about this past year.

It’s so easy to miss the ~~old~~ because there is no surprise in it. You know the in’s and out’s of that environment, of that relationship, even of those habits you hate. It’s like you can almost bet on what will happen next and how it will happen, you can probably go all in and win.

And right now, everything is SO new to me that I am unsure of what comes next.

And for a control freak like me?!? Yeah, no.

But there are a few things I know for sure.

The Lord… His plans are so good, and I don’t need to worry about what is to come because I am 100% sure it will be good.

Also…. Fear will not and cannot stop me from living this year. Although I am scared, I will do it afraid. I will continue to live my life without my past, knowing that it will be a good year, even if it’s not how I imagined it to be. Because on December 31st, 2018 I will still be standing, with my hands in the air, declaring that the Lord IS truly good!

I would like to share my word for this year with you.

I am not going to lie and tell you I fasted and prayed for weeks before the year was over to hear from God what He was speaking over 2018 lol not quite

That is just not how I do things (at least not right now because I am not that disciplined, yet LOL) But I do hear from God and I had a word that was resonating in my spirit over the last few days of the year and I am sharing it to remind myself and you the power of God.

RESTORATION.

: an act of restoring or the condition of being restored: such as
a : a bringing back to a former position or condition : reinstatement the restoration of peace
b : restitution
c : a restoring to an unimpaired or improved condition

I have lost (and gained) so much in previous years and especially in the last one. Some of that loss was mostly because of my own choices, which I will ALWAYS take full responsibility for… but it was also due to seasons, people, world events, LIFE.

For example, I lost a little faith in God. SO much happened in nature, in world news, in my own personal life, in my loved one’s lives… that there were many many many times I wanted to scream at God and ask Him, “what the heck man?!”

I also lost my vision for my life. I lost sight of what I am called to do.

And over the last few weeks, I have been dreaming and planning and receiving life into my heart.

But I truly believe this year, everything I have lost and everything I deliberately threw away will be restored. I know this one thing, and that is that God is faithful. The most faithful that I have ever known. Even when we aren’t.

And He takes every little thing possible and uses it in the GOOD plans that He has for us. I believe that He is the God who restores, and anything can be restored in Him.

Your faith, your hope, your health, your purity, your dreams, your relationships, your heart.

Nothing is wasted in Him and restoration is always possible.

Pray and ask the Lord to speak to you over your year. Your word or season may differ, but His hand is still over your life, just like it is in mine.

I can’t wait to write about the victories and losses this year and share them with you so you can be encouraged once again. I love reminding you that you are not alone, that we are more alike than you know. I will always be transparent and open when I can in order to bless you and bring you closer to the Lord and to your own dreams and visions.

Follow along as I testify of His goodness and His restoring Hand.

Here’s to dancing in His love another year,

XX,

Leslie

10 One Word Messages

My phone vibrated ten times back to back and when I grabbed my phone, it was facebook messenger… my dad had sent 10 individual one-word messages just to ask me how I was doing which made me laugh. I don’t know much about him but I learned he doesn’t know how to type full sentences and instead sends one message at a time LOL

I wasn’t kidding when I wrote in previous blogs that I was in a constant journey of healing, & one of those processes is my relationship with my dad which is non-existent. I don’t lie when I say that I am working on it because I really am and transparency is so important to me for DYL. The fact that I have access to messages is because I opened up the line of communication and though it’s not healed, I’m trying, at my own pace and in my own time. This is huge right?! So I go to my texting app because I wanted to share with someone, “holyyyyy cow!!! look!!! *screenshot of messages*” but I had no one to text.

Not sure if you’ve ever been here, but my stomach was suddenly in my throat. I felt the familiar feeling of panic, of not being able to breathe…. only to realize I was holding my breath once again because that’s what I do to not feel the sting of whatever is hurting- this time loneliness. This monster invaded my mind, my heart, the atmosphere in my room and the rush caused my heart to beat faster, my hands to clam, and my mind to go 2,848,381 miles per hour.

I couldn’t reach out to anyone to share my progress and my big news. MY DAD WROTE TO ME AND SAID THIS AND SAID THAT AND ASKED ME THIS. But NO one.

Well, lie. I thought of the “hers” but I am not talking to her and she’s too busy with that, and she’s not going to understand because she doesn’t know this and she’s at work. And then I thought of the “hims” but he’s resting, and he shouldn’t be a choice, and I don’t want to bother him because I just spoke to him and I’m sure he’s busy. So yes, I thought of people to call but I didn’t feel peace calling anyone. I just needed to experience this for myself, give Leslie a moment to feel the pain, feel the excitement, feel the awkwardness, feel the anger.

It was MY moment.

Loneliness is sometimes God’s call for intimacy.

I have heard this way too many times but this was evident to me in this moment. I truly believe God wanted to teach me a few things in this moment and that wouldn’t have been possible if I would’ve ran to “she” or “he” instead of sitting in stillness and reflecting. I am not alone because He is always with me. The enemy could have had me in this moment and I could have let my emotions control me all day, stayed in bed, cried really ugly, ice cream, movie, sleep, etc. But I didn’t. Instead I ran straight to God, I was like okay God what are you trying to teach me? And I think this makes all the difference. The Lord allowed this moment for a reason and as I reflect now, it caused me to run to Him instead of running to someone else and not getting the reaction I expected and demanded. It’s always so difficult for me to run to God first because I want to be physically and emotionally comforted in that moment, when I want it. There are so many beautiful moments that could be shared with Jesus first if I would simply slow down and think. My dad… that’s not an easy topic for me and though I am able to talk about it now (progress!!!) I cannot put myself in a vulnerable position to share that with just anyone. I have to guard my heart and therefore, Jesus is always the best first choice.

Placing my hope in people will always hurt me.

I also realized how much I depend on people, which is not a bad thing, except for when it keeps me from getting to God. I want to be in the middle of everything, to be loved by everyone, to write amazing blogs about everything I learn, to be in every ministry possible, and have my hands in all things…. but reality is that when I do all these things, it leaves no room for me and God. I stop dancing with God because I am attempting to catch every other song and routine I hear around me. And in the end I get hurt. People can’t satisfy me and people will fail me, just like I fail them. And to avoid this ridiculous bar I have for people to be everything I need them to be, my hope needs to be anchored in God.

I’m sure you have been here before. Maybe all you desire is to have close friends you can run to when situations turn upside down. This is not bad. We were created to have relationship, with both God & other humans. But Jesus must always be in the center of it all. The moment anything or anyONE else becomes something you seek more than Him, then there’s a problem.

I have a desire to be loved and accepted by everybody and they mommas. And this people pleasing characteristic in me causes me to run everywhere else except to His presence. To be honest, people will always fail us. They will be too busy, too caught up, too tired, too annoyed, and that’s okay because we’ve all been there.

But God…. Oh boy is He different. He doesn’t grow tired of your rants. He doesn’t get bored when you tell Him the same story again. He is never too busy to catch your tears, to surround you with His presence as you let it all out. And the best part, He will never walk away.

Praying that if you are feeling alone you can find rest in His presence. May He satisfy that emptiness you feel. He can do it and He does it with gladness. You can place your full confidence in Him because He, unlike me and unlike Man, will never fail you.

Dancing in Your love,

Leslie xx

| Kimono Style Cardigan: Kohls (Similar) | White Seamless Tank: JCPenney |

| Boyfriend Jeans: HM (Similar) | Oxfords: Dolce Vita (Poshmark Sale) |

5 ways to attract Quality

Ladies.

Quality attracts quality. No not just in relationships, although it applies, but in everything you do. If you want the best of the best, you have to carry yourself in such a way that allows you to receive that. I am obviously a girl so I can only give you a girl’s perspective, but I always pray that this blesses you even if you are a gentleman, & though this particular one is directed to my ladies- guys you can learn a lot too 😉

Dress how you want to be addressed.

NO JUDGMENT ZONE OKAY!? But being treated like a lady and carrying yourself with a higher standard has a lot to do with how you dress. I love shorts and clothes and all things fashion but there is a line between fashion and being cute…. And just revealing your entire package to the world. You do not have to reveal everything you have to offer. The world does not need to know what your body looks like and how big how small…… etc. Being classy and acting like a lady means dressing like it too. I can’t expect people (not just guys) to respect me if I walk around dressed like I don’t have a mission, a calling, a greater purpose than just eye candy. Mmmm.

“Your dresses should be tight enough to show you’re a woman,

and loose enough to show you’re a lady.”

2. The words you speak, become the house you live in.

This is probably one the hardest ones for me out. I am impulsive, I speak when I want, i say what I want and I half the time don’t care how it comes across. But this isn’t always (most of the time) right. I truly believe that the tongue has the power of life or death and we do not understand the significance of it. I can create the atmosphere around me. I can tear or build others up. I can cause people to react to me a certain way because of how I speak of myself. My words, and yours, have that much power. Think of your life as the house…. What kind of house do you want to live in? Do you want one filled with drama, pain, low self esteem, negativity? Or do you want a house full of life, boldness, courage, love, and strength? A lady thinks of these things and plans her words well 😉

3. And you, you scare people because you are whole all by yourself.

You don’t need anyone to complete you, to survive, to pay your bills, to honestly…. Do anything. People should ADD to your life but should never be the reason you are alive and breathing. Part of being a lady is strengthening your ability to be independent. Of course I want to be loved the way I love, of course I like gifts and acts of kindness and all of it, but I don’t necessarily need it to be okay. I am well able to dream, grow, develop, and cultivate what I want from life all by myself. Anyone walking with me should ADD to that, not BE that.

4. A clean home is a happy home.

Literally & figuratively. I am in the process of getting rid of things in my room and in my home that I don’t use, (bc this is probably my longest lasting mountain LOL I will be working on this one till I die) It takes up space, makes it easier for me to make a mess out of more, and it’s clutter. I can’t tell you how stress- free it is getting into my car and not having a million and one things to sort through just to find my purse, or trying to remember where those cute shoes are. Such a waste of time and embarrassing!! Also…. Remember how your life is the home? Get rid of anything that is mess in your home, whether that is relationships, friendships, environments, habits, routines…. Whatever is not working- get rid of it.

5. Keep your heels, head, and standards high.

I LOVE HEELS, so yes. But on a serious note, those standards… This has happened to me so many times. I really liked a boy so I would forget everything I was taught, or everything I wanted to be. This is just ridiculous lol you don’t have to compromise your purity, your personality or your dreams for the sake of a significant other. NO. If he is the one for you, then guess what?! You won’t need to change your standards so they can catch up. They should already be running the race next to you, and if anything AHEAD of you, leading the way.

You will constantly be changing and growing. Your convictions will also change depending on your seasons and where you are in life. When I was in my teens, I was totally against shorts and bathing suits and all types of crazy strict dressing rules for MYself. And now that I am older, I love bathing suits and I will maybe wear a crop top. People are all different and not everyone will always agree, but my decisions are for me and for my circle of influence. Do the decisions I make today affect the girls who look up to me, my future daughters, and sisters across the nation? I truly believe they do and I would never want to cause people to question my beliefs, my dreams, or my calling as a lady. Obviously, you can’t please everyone!

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Carry yourself like you are worthy, like you have a purpose, and like you represent something bigger than yourself, because you do. The focus isn’t to attract a man, although that’s a plus(hallelujur), the purpose is to live a life of quality, one you can be proud of for genenrations to come.

Forever dancing in His love,

Leslie Tatiana ❤

| Outfit |